As he watches
by Shieglr
Summary: Touya Akira and Shindo Hikaru are eternal rivals right? So where does Ko Yeung Ha fit in? Slight [ShindoXTouya][One-shot]


Author notes: that Hikaru No Go is property of the Manga-ka's and co. therefore not being her own.

Author's notes: Short thinking/reflection fic writing before my exams for my sister, though she never read it. Touya Akira and Shindo Hikaru are eternal rivals right? So where does Ko Yeung Ha come in? Hope you enjoy.

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Touya Akira would never consider anyone but Shindo Hikaru to be his rival, he would never consider even letting anyone else getting to know him as much as Shindo Hikaru. The other had become as much a part of his life as Go had. There were many other Go players around, from Japan, from China, from Korea, from all over the world. He had not met all of them, but he had no doubt that many of them were worthy opponents.

But, Shindo was not an ordinary Go player, you could be skilled but not just anyone could be skillful. Shindo was one of them and he played Go with such a passion that Touya himself did not, could not, deny that he would eventually surpass him.

He respected Shindo as much as he quarreled with him, simply because the other respected him too. Some pro players tended to belittle him, but the other never did. They were eternal rivals and no more.

So...why had he felt cheated when Ko Yeung Ha became a big interest of Shindo's?

'_He's my only rival, I will be ahead, and he will catch up, I am his aim, as much as he is mine'_ But what about Ko Yeung Ha? Shindo, had he changed his target? Touya considered it, mulling over the thought reluctantly. He **would **feel the loss because now there was no one to push him onwards. Somewhere along the line, Shindo had become a necessity, a constant, what would he do without Shindo right behind him? He had always been right behind him, chasing him, as Touya himself has chased Shindo's shadow. It wasn't just a simple game of cat and mouse, it wasn't an ordinary rivalry. It was something akin to holding hands and racing to the end line, battle conjoined with companionship. It was too complex, he decided.

He did not bother to understand. Shindo was unpredictable and, frankly put, he could be the representation of chaos. Erratic and spontaneous (and messy too, he added as an after-thought), the lower-dan had amazed many of his opponents by his constant change in style. And even though he spent countless hours with the other, he had never ceased to amaze Touya. Never.

And he knew he would never come to a conclusion with random guessing. So he watched instead.

He watched as Shindo fought a losing battle against Ko Yeung Ha, watched as he lost the match, watched as he forced a façade on and said he was not good enough. Watched as he laughed, no more real that his happiness, watched him as he cried at the defeat, watched him as he sat there, just there.

He had never seen this side of his rival. Tears would never suit someone like him. When Shindo accepted defeat, he did not do it readily, but still calmly. To see his rival in such a state, it did not evoke pity from him, for only the condescending pity. Instead, he was curious, as to why Shindo was so evidently upset, and that small spark of...was it jealousy? That small spark welled up in his heart.

They stayed in silence, it would comfort him, he knew, and slowly, gradually, people started to leave, and he turned away.

"Let's go, Shindo." His words had not meant anything, a futile attempt to get the other to move. To leave his defeat behind, to forget about the match with Ko Yeung Ha, but, he did not move. The fan clutched tightly in his palm as he stared resolutely at the Goban. Touya took this chance to take a closer look at his rival's face. He saw anger, disappointment, sadness, and predominantly, he saw sad reminiscence. It was then that he understood, it was not about losing to Ko Yeung Ha, it was never really about Ko Yeung ha at all. He smiled slightly.

"It's not the end...it is not time yet." _'Yes, Shindo, you have a long way to go, we both have a long way to go. It's not the end.'_ A chair scraped and light footsteps sounded behind him. He turned, and saw Shindo rise from his chair.

A smile and a sound of acknowledgement was all it took to convince Touya that Shindo was just fine.

After all, Shindo, while being a complete enigma to many people, was still very simple. He would always be Touya's eternal rival. He would never have to consider or reconsider that decision, he made it long ago. No, Sai had made it so. And the spirit never needed to consider anything outside the Goban.

Touya Akira would never consider anyone but Shindo Hikaru to be his rival, likewise, Shindo Hikaru would never consider anyone but Touya Akira to be his rival. Needless to say, it was not a fact that needed to be considered at all.

Touya Akira smiled as he walked side by side with Shindo Hikaru, they would always walk together, in more ways than one.


End file.
